Earth moving implement



June 2, 1931. J

I... BIRD EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT" Filed April 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l l/ryzzrron:

Ale/v 0.,31/20.

June 2, 1931. '0, R 1,808,733

EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT Filed April 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEN o. BIRD, or GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro w. L. ADAMS, or nnxnune,

- IDAHO EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT Application filed April 1, 1930. .Serial No. 440,814.

This invention relates to means for moving in which the operation of the leveling device to operative and inoperative position .may be controlled by a single operator.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a leveling device in which strains tending to distort the scraping member and arising from or incident to the lifting or lower-' ing of the scraper member are reduced to a practical minimum; to provide a leveling device in which the lifting or lowering of the scraper member is materially facilitated and the amount of power required for this actuation of the scraper member is considerably reduced; to provide in a leveling device of this character a means by which the scraper element may be lifted normally or with respect to the resistant load operated against, by a direct pull, thereby eliminating torsional, bending and other deforming strains and enabling the scraper element to be made considerably lighter without sacrifice of efficiency and with a considerable reduction in the draft required to move the leveling device.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a leveling device in which the scraper member or blade will perform only the actual service or work required of it, that is, handling, moving or displacing the dirt or material, obviating in this wise any connection with the blade which would subject the same to heavy strains and necessitate an impractically heavy structure and require an excess amount of power to draw same.

These and other objects are accomplished by a preferred form .of embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure, and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view, dotted lines indicating a number of positions which the scraper or leveler may be caused to assume.

Fig.- 3 is an enlarged perspective detail of the blade or leveler member, and I Fig. 4. is a side view showing the blade in elevated position.

The objects above recited are attained by the preferred form of embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, which in a generic sense consists of a scraper blade having side wings conjoined by and supporting a cross member, to which is connected for relative movement a wheeled frame and to which is rigidly connected a draft tongue that is arranged for connection to a tractor and that is designed to draw the wheeled frame and the scraper member, means being provided on the frame to lift and lower the scraper member according to requirements with respect to the tractor and to the wheeled frame.

In a more specific sense, the invention ex;

emplified in the accompanying drawings in a practical form of embodiment, is shown as comprising an earth moving member 1, which for purposes of this disclosure may be termed a scraper, leveler or blade, and which is provided with end or side wings 2, that are conjoined by and support a cross member 3. A draft tongue 4 is rigidly connected with and centrally of said cross member or bar 3, and the end of this draft tongue 4 carries a plate or other device 5 that is pivotally connected therewith by a horizontal bolt or pivot pin 5', and which plate 5 is arranged for connection with a tractor and preferably the clevis 25 thereof by a vertical pin 5" whereby the tongue 4 and its associated complements may move freely with respect to the tractor during the lifting or lowering of the member 1 or any other movement thereof incident on the drag of same over a surface. By means of a central vane'or rib 2 the scraper blade or memher 1 is reinforced. This vane, rib or web 3 united with the cross member 3 at a point coincident with the longitudinal plane of thedraft tongue 4. The draft tongue 4 is held rigidly in position by a pair of braces 6, welded or otherwise secured at one end to the outside of the wings 2 of the earth moving member 1 and in line with the ends of the cross member or bar 3, and the other ends of said braces being secured to said draft tongue 4 near the forward end thereof. By this construction the scraper member 1 constitutes an integral unit with the bar 3, the draft tongue 4 and the braces 6, which makes for the rigid structure required in machines of this type. To the cross member or bar 3 is rigidly secured, preferably by welding, a plurality of spaced brackets 7 to which are pivotally or hingedly secured by pins or bolts 8, the ends of a series of frame members 9, which are bowed upwardly and extend over and rearwardly of the blade or scraper member 1, for purposes to appear presently, the frame members 9 being conjoined in rigid relation by a tie bar 9. The other ends of said frame members 9 are secured to a journal or axle 10, upon which are rotatably mounted a pair of wheels 11, that are adapted for rolling contact with the ground surface as the scraper is dragged or drawn forward in the operation of displacing dirt or other material.

Upon the frame members 9 intermediate the ends thereof is mounted for oscillation in suitable bearings 12, a fulcrum shaft 13, to which are secured; near the respective-ends thereof, arms14. To these arms 14 are pivotally connected links 15, which in turn are pivotally connected to lugs 16 provided on the top edge of the scraper blade 1,'1 which, as the fulcrum shaft is turned in onedirection or the other, is elevated or loweredrby the connections with the arms 14, detailed. The shaft 13 is provided centrally thereof with a lever 17, that is rigidly secured thereto and the end of said lever is pivotally connected with the end of a piston rod 18, which is contained within a cylinder 19 and the movement of which piston rod 18 relative to the cylinder 19 is effected in either one direction or another by a suitable fluid c onveyed to one'side or the other of a piston, not shown, forming a. part of said piston rod 18, through flexible conduits 20 and 21 and controlled by means within easy reach of the operator, such means, being common and of wellknown' construction, needing no especial description.

The cylinder 19 is trunnioned in a hearing 22 provided on the middle framelmemher and pivots therein as the piston rod 18 is moved'relatively thereto in the operation of elevating or lowering the scraper member 1, relatively to the frame members 9, which as stated are bowed upwardly to permit the scraper blade to be elevate In practice, the device or plate 5is connected to a tractor which as it moves forward draws or drags the scraper blade 1 and the wheeled frame 9 over the surface to be operated upon, thereby causing the dirtor other material ahead of the scraper blade to be moved or displaced, When it is desired toelevate the scraper blade 1, fluid pres-- sure is admitted to the cylinders-19 ahead of the piston therein which causes the piston rod 18 to move to within the cylinder 19. During such inward movement of the piston rod, the lever 17 that is pivotally connected thereto turns the fulcrum shaft 13 about its axis, thereby exerting a pull on the links 15 that are pivotally connected with the top of the scraper blade 1, and lifting the same, to the position substantially as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The scraper blade 1 and its component parts are lifted relatively to the wheeled axle 10 and to the draw bar or clevis 5 of the tractor to which the tongue 4 thereof is attached in manner related to permit the free and unimpeded movement of said tongue 4. As the scraper blade 1 is elevated, the forward ends of the frame members 9 which are pivotally connected with said cross bar 3, are also elevated, while the rear ends of said frame members, and the axle 10 to which they are secured, turn axially relatively to the wheels 11. In normal operation for leveling or scraping a surface, the bottom of the scraper member 1 is on a plane parallel with the'bottom of the wheels 11. When it is desired that the scraper member 1 extend below the bottom of the wheels 11, fluid is admitted behind the piston in the cylinder 19. Thereby as the piston rod is projected beyond the cylinder, the resultant movement of the fulcrum shaft 13 is transferred by the arms 14 to the top of the scraper blade or member 1 through the links 15, which as shown in Fig. 2, are of such length that, when the piston rod 18 turns the fulcrum shaft 13 to a degree at which the longitudinal axis of the arms 14 and links 15 are substantially a straight line, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the scraper member 1 will be forced into the ground or earth below the surface thereof and below the bottom of the wheel treads. This is of advantage in scraping or leveling surfaces that are comparatively soft.

It will be observed that when the scraper blade or member 1 is in elevated or in0pera tive position, as indicated in Fig. 4, the wheeled frame 9 carries or suspends the blade with practically no strain thereupon, thereby enabling the blade to be made of lighter coxistruction without sacrificing strength and efficiency. It will also be observed that the draft or drag of the scraper blade or member v1 occurs or takes place through the frame connections which are wholly independent of the scraper member 1, and which therefore L perform than that of prising a scraper member having forwardly extending side wings and a central reinforcing web, a bar connecting the front ends of said side wings and to which said central web is secured, a draft tongue rigidly connected with said bar'centrally thereof and arranged for connection to a tractor, braces connecting said sidewings with said draft tongue, 2. series of frame members pivotally connected at their frontends to said tie bar and rigidly connected at their rear ends to an axle, the said frame members being bowed intermediate their ends over and above the scraper blade, wheels journaled .upon said axle, a shaft mounted upon the bowed p'ortions of said frame members, levers secured to said shaft, link connections between said levers and the to of said scraper member, and means to osci late said shaft and thereby elevate or lower said scraper'member relatively to and with frame members and :relatively to the tractor.

2. An implement of the class disclosed comprising a scraper member having side wings,

a bar connecting said side wings, a central reinforcing web secured to sa1d scraper member and said bar, a draft tongue connected with said bar and centrally thereof and ar-' ranged for pivotal connection with a tractor, a wheeled frame, the forward'end thereof is pivotally connected to said bar and the intermediate portion of which is bowed upwardly above and'over the top of the scraper member, a shaft carried by said bowed frame portion, means to oscillate said shaft, and means of connection between said-shaft and scraper, member whereby as said shaft is oscillated, the scraper member is lifted or lowered.

3. An implement of the class disclosed comprising a scraper member having side win s, a bar connecting said side wings, a dra tongue secured to and extending forwardly of said bar, said tongue arranged for ivotal connection with a tractor, a bowed rame extending over and above said scraper hingedly connected at its forward end to said I bar, the rear of said frame being secured to a wheeled axle, a shaft carried by said frame fluid pressure means to rock said shaft, and connections between said shaft and the to of the scraper member, whereby as the sha t is rocked the scraper member is elevated or lowered. e

5. An implement of the class describeo comprising a scraper member, a bar carried thereby, a tongue rigidly secured to said bar and arranged for pivotal connection with a tractor, a frame bowed over the top edge of said scraper member, and hingedly connected at its forward end to said bar, and the rear of said frame secured to a wheeled axle, a shaft on said frame, means to oscillate said shaft, and pivotal connections between the top of the scraper member and said shaft whereby as said shaft is oscillated the scraper member is lifted or lowered relatively to and with the frame. 1

6. An implement of the class described omprising a scraper member, a bar carried thereby, a tongue securedv to said bar and arranged for plvotal connection with a tractor, a wheeled frame having an n wardly bowed. portion extending over and a ove the top edge of said scraper member and the forward and of which is hingedl connected to said bar, a shaft, arms secure to said shaft, links pivotally connecting said arms with the top of the scraper member, and meanslon the frame to oscillate said shaft and thereby lift or lower said scraper member.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand.

member and hingedly connected at its forward end to said bar, the rear of said frame secured to a wheeled axle, a shaft on being3 7 said owed frame, means to rock said shaft,

and connections. between said shaft and the top of said scraper member whereby as said shaft is rocked the scraper member is lifted or lowered relatively to and with the frame.

4. An impilement of the class disclosed comprising a scraper member having side wings, a bar connectin said side wings, a tongue secured to sai bar and centrally thereof and arranged for connection with a tractor, a frame extending over and above the top edge of said scraper member and LEN o; BIRD. 

